What lumen output do you use the most?

For general use, over the last 3 months, what 'approximate' lumen output do you use the most?

im guessing no-one actually uses more than about 100 lumens (unless your police or military),

at night, without wanting to light up the whole neibourhood i bet we are very conservative with lumen output/battery life.

even looking around an unlit basement requires less than 100 lumens.

Re: Here's a good question.

For 80% percent of the time I use the 27 lumen from the first mode on my LD01, the rest of the time I whip out the PD30 and use the 120 lumen high.

Re: Here's a good question.

200-250 lumen on average for me (whatever max is on the light I'm carrying). I use my lights approximately 1/2 an hour total per day walking to and from work. That's well within the battery life of any light I own, so no need to conserve using a lower level. :twothumbs

Re: Here's a good question.

Most of the time I use my Fenix P3d-CE on high (about 215 lumens) because I don't want to worry about whether I have enough light to see whatever I'm looking for. If I'm working in close quarters and I only need to see a connector on an equipment panel, I'll switch it to low mode (around 30 lumens, I think). In general I always err on the side of too much light.

Re: Here's a good question.

I use my EDC SF E1B on high mode most of the time. It is 80 lumens max. My Malkoffs get alot of burntime too and they are all over 200 lumens.

Re: Here's a good question.

Id say in the next month it will be a toss up of 900 and 625 lumens being used the most and 215 somewhere in all of that. Ocassionally Ill drop something and use my .23 lumen low or just to be cool lol.

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I use an Olight M20 on medium around the house and the new Eagletac M2CX4 for outdoors. I chose the M2 as an outdoor light because I live in the country and I need "horsepower with throw in a handheld". I thought I was making a mistake by buying the M2 until I got it. Then I realized having an old school Mag 3D for so long was the mistake!

Re: Here's a good question.

Toaster said:

200-250 lumen on average for me (whatever max is on the light I'm carrying). I use my lights approximately 1/2 an hour total per day walking to and from work. That's well within the battery life of any light I own, so no need to conserve using a lower level. :twothumbs

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I'm exactly the same, i leave my TK10 (225lm) on turbo all the time. Its rare i have the light on any longer than 30 seconds.... 5 times a day maybe if that.

If i am walking down a path i take my TK40, and use it on low (9lm) and then kick it up if i want to see something a bit further away, or want to see someone/something coming towards me (teenager/dog/bike)

Re: Here's a good question.

Usually I use the high on the PD30 (117 lumens) when I'm outdoors. And my fiancee uses it to light the bathroom in her rented apartment (also on high) cuz the landlady hasn't come around to fix it yet (she lives next door).

Re: Here's a good question.

6-Lumens fenix E0 for not killing my night vision.
70-100-Lumens for general around the house stuff.
150+ Lumens for outdoor use.

I have various P60 hosts and DIY P60 drop ins to suit my needs. I switch reflectors from smooth to OP depending on my mood.

Re: Here's a good question.

500 - 750 lumens

Mostly I use a couple SF 6P's as bike lights. One has an MC-E drop-in (345 lumens) and one has an R2 (200+ lumens). They are both used primarily on high. Sometimes I also have my Fenix PD30 on my head, set on turbo (200+ lumens).

Re: Here's a good question.

Jaywalk3r said:

500 - 750 lumens

Mostly I use a couple SF 6P's as bike lights. One has an MC-E drop-in (345 lumens) and one has an R2 (200+ lumens). They are both used primarily on high. Sometimes I also have my Fenix PD30 on my head, set on turbo (200+ lumens).

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Overkill no?
:nana:

Re: Here's a good question.

LD10's low (9 lumen?) for taking bath really late at night. And walking around in the house.

LD10's med (47 lumens), Raw's med (~40 lumens), T100LC2's med (60 lumens) for lighting up rooms, walking outside at night, etc.

Max (80 - 250 lumens) for seeing further, walking scarier places, blinding crazy people attacking me at night (never happened yet).

Unfortunately, my most powerful light is only 250+(ish) lumens. =(

Re: Here's a good question.

waddup said:

For general use, over the last 3 months, what 'approximate' lumen output do you use the most?

im guessing no-one actually uses more than about 100 lumens (unless your police or military)...

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Have to disagree with you there. I work security, and I mainly work outdoors. I need a light with a good combination of throw & flood. The more lumens, the better. Currently using a TLS/Optics HQ Q5 LED head on a black Surefire E2E body w/ an E2D tailcap. Just over 220 lumens... and sometimes barely enough light for my needs at work.

Re: Here's a good question.

I guess the light requirements of those working in the private security sector are probably quite close to those of the police... I can guess you need a quite powerful searchlight to look for someone who isn't supposed to be there. :thinking:

For practical, at home or round-the-house work, camping and most other stuff i always use the low setting. Sometimes medium, or a quick blast of turbo/high to check out things. So, I agree with the OP - it's the low setting that gets most use. :twothumbs
Low for me means 3 to 10 lumens range... which is sufficient for me, most of the time.

Moving with high speed in the dark (running, skiing, biking) I want to see where I am as well as where I will be in the next couple of seconds. The higher the speed the more light is needed. Typically the maximum light setting.

Navigating out in woods or mountain (meaning I have to find my way, I can't just follow a trail - either there is no trail or I don't know for sure where those trails are going) it is a sort of either- or decision. I either rely on my night vision to navigate and use no light at all (if there is sufficient moon light/ambient light) or a very dim light so I don't trip over something. Or I go to the other extreme and try to make the area look like daylight, using LOTS of light.

Re: Here's a good question.

I think it is difficult to answer as your flashlight needs may differ a lot:
- is there ambient light or is it pitch dark
- indoors or outdoors
- do you want to illuminate a room or do you want to look in the distance
- do you want a colored (red or green) led to use in the night

Generally, for most people, I guess, a C or D-size Maglite with a Nite Ize 1watt PR dropin is just fine (or a Magled) putting out about 40 lumens.

Kind regards,
Joris

It depends on the purpose and on the flashlight available.

I mostly use my LED indoors. I live in a crowded area, in a city. Therefore a flashlight is hardly needed.

My LED gives me the choice between 2 to 100 lumen. For checking the kids I use 2 lumen. Checking if the cats are on the roofs I use a bit more: level 3 or 4. Guess 10 to 25 lumen. Only lately when a weather depression passed with heavy lightning and thunder I checked the atticks using 100 lumen.

Whenever we go to the cottage of my in-laws, I bring my 2 LED's and 1 or two incans (mag85 and 5761) and test them on high, just for fun.

In the yard, E2L at 3 and 60 lumens. Also use that one around the house a lot. During evening walks E2DL at 5 and 120 lumens at about equal time.

indoors my ZL H30 on med and high outdoors as much light as i have got :twothumbs

Barrie said:

indoors my ZL H30 on med and high outdoors as much light as i have got :twothumbs

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How many lumen is that?